Of Movie Nights and Morning Coffee
by klatchshy
Summary: Ciel is incredible. She was genetically created to be a genius, she had a good up bringing with lovely parents, and she's about to solve the energy crisis at 23. She will go down in history as one of the greatest minds of all time. So why is she getting stood up by tinder dates? Or, the domestic(ish) au no one asked for where the elf wars never happened.
1. Chapter 1

Ciel tried to make herself smaller as she sat alone at the table for two. He had said he would meet her there an _hour_ ago. She was getting sorry looks from everyone around her, and she had half a mind to leave. Unfortunately, the other half was too hopeful to do that. She turned away the waitress. Again. She kept telling herself to just wait five more minutes.

Then ten more minutes.

Then twenty.

She felt like a complete idiot. She was gathering her courage to get up and leave while she still had some dignity when a tall young man with stupidly long blond hair rushed into the restaurant and made his way toward her.

"Oh my god, I am so so so sorry! There was an emergency at work and my phone died so I couldn't call you to tell you I'd be late!" he announced softly enough that it didn't seem strange or false, but definitely loud enough for most of the restaurant to hear.

Now, of course, this was not the man she had spoken with on tinder. He was a complete stranger, and it was probably not a good idea to stay. Then again, the guy she was supposed to meet here had been a complete stranger, too. At least this stranger seemed to want to help her out. So, after he whispered that his name was Zero and that whoever had stood her up was a complete dickhead, she smiled and softly introduced herself.

Ciel could tell right off the bat that Zero was a reploid. He was in his civvies, so someone who wasn't familiar with reploids would probably think that he was human. However, Ciel happened to work with many reploids. It was easy for her to pin point the subtle tells. But there was something tugging at the back of her mind. She had heard of a reploid named Zero, but she couldn't quite remember who he was. She was a physicist, after all, not a historian. She racked her brain, trying to remember…

"So, Ciel, are you a student?" He asked, breaking her train of thought.

Her eyes focused on him. "Oh, no. I'm a scientist actually. I'm a bit of a prodigy, so I've been working since I was eight." He beamed at her.

"That's badass. What do you study?"

She smiled back at him. "Physics. What about you? What do you do?" she asked before taking a sip of her water.

He shifted a bit. "I'm a Maverick Hunter."

Suddenly, it clicked in her mind. A history lesson she had, a photo of a reploid in red armor. She almost spat out the water, but she caught herself in time. She swallowed and coughed a bit. "You're Zero? Like the Zero? The War Hero?" she whispered, trying not to draw attention.

He gave her a small laugh and rubbed the back of his neck. "I don't think that's entirely accurate. X did all the heavy lifting. 'War Helper' would be more accurate."

"Don't say that! Who knows what would have happened if you hadn't been there to help? X could have died. What would we have done without him?"

He shifted uncomfortably. "Well, yeah..." She remembered that he always seemed to step out of the lime light and let X do the talking at public appearances. She realized that he must dislike attention. She understood, though she couldn't exactly relate. Ciel had always been a people person. She always loved showing off her latest break-troughs and getting her research published. It was what she was born to do, after all.

She smiled and tried to get him to meet her eyes. "Well, if you weren't a hero before, then you definitely are now for rescuing me," she murmured to him.

That got a laugh out of him. "Why, thank you. I'm very touched, Ciel."

They ate and made small talk. Ciel told him all about how she was solving the energy crisis, and about her adopted sister Allouette. He told her stories from his work, as well as answered any questions she had about him. He told her all about his new kitten, and she told him all about her old dog.

At the end of the night, after exchanging phone numbers with him, Ciel found that she had just had the best "date" ever.


	2. Chapter 2

A few days had passed since that night. Ciel got back to her apartment, Alouette in tow, and plopped on the couch. Ciel was fuming. She had had an awful day and she needed to vent. Chloe, her best friend, who she usually vented to, was busy that night. So, instead she got out her phone and scrolled through the contacts. When she saw Zero's name, she couldn't help but smile. She tapped on his name and started typing.

CC: Hi, I know I don't know you too well but listen up. We're friends now.

She sent it.

CC: Now let me tell you about this bullshit day I had.

He replied after a few seconds.

Z: Oh man, what happened?

CC: So I go on my morning run, like usual, and for a block or two everything is normal. I'm listening to my favorite playlist I'm making good time but THEN this other guy out jogging sees me. Its 6 in the morning, I'm just waking up, I don't want to talk to him. So I don't make eye contact I mind my own business, I turn down another street. HE FOLLOWS ME AND CATCHES UP AND STARTS TALKING TO ME. So I try to hint to him that I don't want to talk, and I certainly don't care about what he's saying. I just keep saying "ok" and changing direction AND THIS GUY CANT TAKE A HINT. So I have to go home from my jog early, which SUCKS because I need it to help me wake up in the morning

Z: Oh my god I'm so sorry

CC: BUT THAT'S NOT ALL

Z: Jesus, what happened next?

CC: I get to the lab AND THE HEATER IS BROKEN

Z: Shiiitt

CC: I KNOW! And it's October so it's COLD. And all I have is a light jacket. I'm still groggy because my run was cut short. But the universe wasn't done with me yet, OH NOOO. My coworker's husband's cousin's aunt's grandmother or something died and that sucks and all but he has been gone all week and I was supposed to pick up his slack but I've been busy with my own shit, you know? And just doing my work is a nightmare because I'm working on the surface of the sun and on top of that my boss is angry because there is a TON of work that needs to get done and none of us can do it because we're busy and when my boss gets angry she finds a way to take it out on EVERYONE. She made me rewrite one of my reports like 3 times! And now I'm even MORE behind.

Z: You don't deserve this

CC: And I WANTED to work while I ate, but I forgot my lunch at home! So I had to waste my lunch half-hour leaving, finding somewhere to eat, and coming back! Then I had to stay overtime at work finishing everything up. And NOW I have to watch my sister Alouette because my parents are hosting book club!

Z: I'm super sorry Ciel. Are you ok?

CC: Yeah I'm fine. I just needed to get that off my chest. Sorry for dumping all that on you.

Z: It's fine, really. I don't mind. Have you decided what you're doing for dinner? You sound like you need a pizza movie night.

CC: That actually sounds really good.

Z: Cool. What toppings do you like? I can order it and bring it over.

CC: Oh you don't have to do that.

Z: I want to. It's no trouble. I don't have any plans.

CC: Well, if you're sure, I like pepperoni

Z: I'm sure. What movies do you and Alouette like? I could bring over The Emperor's New Groove

CC: I don't think I have that one. It's about the lama, right?

Z: Yeah, kind of. It's hilarious, trust me

CC: I'll take your word for it :)

She sent him her address and called to her sister. "Alouette, we have a guest coming over, so I need you to be on your best behavior, ok?"

Her sister turned her attention away from the TV. "Who is it?"

"He's a new friend of mine named Zero. He's bringing over a funny movie for us three to watch together."

Alouette wrinkled her nose. "Zero? That's a funny name!"

"Well, he's a reploid like you, and sometimes reploids have funny names."

Alouette giggled. "Yeah, like X!"

Ciel smiled. "Exactly like X."

Ten minutes later the doorbell rang. Alouette ran over to it.

"Who is it?" she called.

"Zero," he replied. Alouette opened the door for him. He wore his civvies and held a pizza box in both hands with a movie on top.

"Hello! You must be Ciel's new friend. You have a funny name," she said politely.

He chuckled. "And you must be Ciel's sister, Alouette. You have a pretty name."

"Thank you! I agree."

Ciel rushed over from the other room. "Zero! Come in, I wasn't expecting you so soon."

Zero stepped in and placed the pizza on the coffee table. "The pizza place was fast, and I actually live pretty close, turns out."

Alouette gasped. "Zero! Your hair is so pretty!"

"Thank you, Alouette." He said with a smile.

"Can I braid it? Please? Ciel is teaching me how and it would be really good practice! Can I? Can I?" She asked him, hopping up and down. Ciel was about to refuse and tell Alouette that she was sure Zero was happy with the way his hair was. But, he surprised her.

"Let me put on the movie first, but then you're welcome to while we watch it."

"Yay! Let me go get my hair brush!" She said before running off.

"Oh, Zero, you don't-" Ciel began.

Zero met her eyes and smiled. "Don't worry Ciel, I don't mind. I'm used to it. The old couple I rent from have a few grandkids. This is actually their movie."

Ciel hesitated. "Are you sure? I don't want her to bother you at all."

"Yes, I'm sure. Sammy is always doing my hair."

"Well, alright, but I'm warning you. Alouette is a perfectionist. She won't let you leave until it's perfect."

She was right. It took Alouette until half the movie was over to be satisfied with his hair, and since no one was able to pay attention to the movie in that time, Ciel decided it was best to start the movie over. Once they were done watching the movie, Alouette grabbed Zero's hand and dragged him to the bathroom to see it. Ciel held a mirror up to the reflection for him to see.

"Wow, Alouette! It's awesome! Thanks, you did such a great job!"

"Really!?"

"Yes, of course!" He looked at Ciel. "Well, It's getting late, and I have work tomorrow, so I'd better get home," he told her apologetically.

She nodded reassuringly. "Don't worry about it. I have to get Alouette home anyway." she knelt down to Alouette. "How about you say good bye to Zero, then start cleaning up your toys, huh?"

"But I don't want Zero to leave! And I'm not even tired."

"I know sweetie, but he has to get up early tomorrow, and we don't want to be rude and keep him from going to bed, do we?" The little reploid murmured a grumpy no before hugging Zero's waist and telling him good bye. He hugged her back and told her goodnight. Then she went to gather her things. Ciel walked Zero to the door.

"Thanks for having me over. It was really fun hanging out with you two," he told her with a smile.

"Thanks for coming! Will you let me pay you back for the pizza? I still feel like I owe you one for the other night."

He smiled and crossed his arms. "I feel like if I don't let you pay me back I'll never hear the end of it."

She smirked at him. "That's because you won't."

He sighed. "Fine. It was ten bucks." Ciel fished out her wallet and paid him back. He thanked her and put it in his back pocket. She smiled and extended her arms, offering him a hug that he gladly took. He hooked one arm under hers and wrapped the other one over her shoulder. They hugged a bit longer than was necessary. Then, when they parted they stared at each other for longer than was necessary. Not that Ciel had a problem with it. However, she was very concerned about the massive flip her stomach did when he smiled at her and said that he had fun. She held her smile long enough to agree and say goodbye, but as soon as he turned his back her smile quickly became a look of distress.

She shut the door and leaned against it, let her head fall back with a solid thump.

"Oh, no," she whispered under her breath.


	3. Chapter 3

Ciel's parents lived in a neighborhood about 20 minutes outside of the city, and they were the only reason she owned a car. The second she pulled into the driveway, her mom opened the front door to greet her.

Millicent Calore was a geneticist in her fifties, and she had been part of the team that had created Ciel. She was tall, like her husband, and even though she was getting older, she was fairly active and she still worked part-time (with no plans to retire anytime soon). She waved to her daughters and walked up to the car, smiling wide. "Hey! How was she?" she asked Ciel, opening the back door.

"Lovely, as always," Ciel replied, stepping out of the car.

"Ciel had a guest over today!" Alouette chirped as Millie unbuckled her.

"Really? Who was it?" Her mother asked before Alouette jumped out of the seat and hugged her.

"His name was Zero. His name is weird because he's a reploid, like me. He was super nice! He brought pizza and let me braid his hair!"

"Wow! That sounds fun!" Millie told Alouette before looking at Ciel with a raised eyebrow. When Ciel failed to meet her eyes, she turned back to Alouette. "Well, darling, it's almost bedtime, so why don't you go inside and tell Daddy it's time for your bath?" Alouette ran inside, leaving Ciel and her mom to walk in after her. By the time they got inside, Alouette was already running up the stairs with her father, Charlie, following behind.

"Hello, sweetheart," he said to Ciel, giving her a quick hug before starting up the stairs. Ciel let herself be ushered into the kitchen by her mother.

"So, was this the same Zero who helped you when that other boy stood you up?" her mom asked, pouring tea for them both.

"Yeah. He's my new friend," Ciel told her, taking a sip of her tea.

"Am I right to assume he's the same Zero that saved the human race eight times?"

Ciel sighed. "Yes, he is."

"Well, a reploid, hm? That's fine, sweetie."

Ciel pursed her lips, becoming increasingly uncomfortable. "I know, mom. You're raising a reploid."

Millie smiled as if she knew something Ciel didn't. "I know, I know. I just want you to know that as long as you're happy, we're happy."

Ciel choked on her tea. "It's not like that! I only met him last week. We're just friends."

Her mother shrugged. "For now, but you never know. Sometimes you don't think something's gonna happen, and then something happens."

She tried to give her mother a _drop it_ look. "Yeah, that's how all of life works, Mom."

Her mother smiled. "Well, anyway, thanks for looking after your sister. It's getting late, you should be getting home. You've got work tomorrow."

"Yeah. And it's probably going to be rough. I told you Jerome's been out all week, didn't I?"

"Yes. I don't think it's fair that you should have to pick up his slack, Ciel."

"Well, someone has to, right?" Ciel sighed.

Her mother smiled and hugged her, resting her chin on top of Ciel's head. "Oh, I love you, Ciel. You always work so hard. I'm glad you found someone to watch movies with who you don't know from work. It'll give you a break."

Ciel grinned and squeezed her mother back. "Thanks. I love you too."

* * *

A half hour later, when Ciel had left and Alouette was in bed, Charlie sat down next to his wife on the couch.

"So Alouette told me Ciel had a boy over."

"Mm hmm. The same one who pretended to be her date."

"Do you think it's safe to assume that he's a son-in-law candidate?"

Millie smiled. "Oh yeah. She tried to hide it, but I can tell she's into him."

"Do you think she'll introduce us, or are we going to have to casually run into them at some point?" he joked.

"Well, Alouette seems to like him a lot, so I think we'll be meeting him soon enough."

* * *

The next day, Ciel came into the lab a full ten minutes past when she normally arrived, which was practically unheard of. Chloe, her best friend going on five years now looked up as she walked in.

After looking her up and down, she frowned. "Whoa, you look awful! What happened?"

"Thanks, Chlo," she murmured sarcastically. "I didn't get a wink of sleep last night," Ciel said with a yawn.

Chloe furrowed her brow. "Why not?"

She sighed. "You know how that guy saved me when my tinder date stood me up?" Chloe nodded. "I invited him over to my apartment last night."

Chloe sat up. "You did what?"

"I had a really crappy day, and so I vented to him about it instead of you because I knew you had that date. He offered to bring me pizza and a Disney movie. How could I refuse?"

"So what went wrong?"

Ciel groaned and flopped down next to her. "That's the problem. Nothing went wrong. He got along with Alouette. He brought me my favorite pizza. He has outstanding movie taste. He even let Alouette French braid his hair!" She rested her arms on the table and plonked her head on top of them. "It was wonderful," she groaned.

Chloe beamed at her and squealed a little. "No way! You actually like him! Damn girl, you sure know how to pick 'em! He's helped save the world like, what, seven times?"

Ciel conked her head on the table. "Eight times."

"Holy shit, Ciel! You found someone! This is incredible, I'm so happy for you!"

"No, Chlo, stop, he doesn't like me that way. He might even be dating someone! Who knows? I don't! And honestly, for now, I just want to get to know him. Besides, I'm way out of his league. His jawline could cut steel."

Chloe looked offended. "How dare you say that Ciel, you're one of the prettiest girls I know."

"Thank you, but I'm serious. You need to see him to understand. It's insane."

Chloe shook her head. "I think you're just being love struck."

"I'm not love struck!"

Chloe gave her a look. "You sure?"

"Yes," Ciel said firmly.

"Okay, but anyway, when you get to it, I'm going to be your maid of honor."

Ciel groaned again.

* * *

Zero was happy to visit X; it had been a couple weeks since he had seen him. Unfortunately, he had to visit his friend at his office instead of the cozy little cottage outside of the city where X lived with Alia. X, however, seemed unperturbed by the setting.

"Zero, great to see you!" he said, standing up. "Should I be expecting a wedding date sometime soon?"

Zero rolled his eyes, expecting this. "X, we just met and we're just friends," Zero said. "And I already told you, even if I liked her like that, it would never happen. She's human."

"And I told you, she works with a ton of reploids and has a sister who is a reploid. I doubt she cares."

Zero huffed. "Why are you so bent on this? Why can't I just have a new friend? Besides, she's way out of my league. She's gorgeous; her eyes are this really pretty blue that isn't quite sky blue, but it's not royal blue either and-"

X chuckled. "Are you sure you aren't into her?"

"Yes!"

"Really? 'Cause it sounds like you enjoy staring into her eyes."

"Well, I don't," he muttered, looking away.

X sighed. "Zero, I have been telling you to find someone for decades. Why are you so bent on staying single? I'm married and you haven't even had a fling in two hundred years! I think it would be nice for you to have someone to just hang out with, you know? We hardly ever actually spend time together anymore. Not to mention, I can count the number of friends you have on my fingers, and that's counting friends from work."

"I have more than that, don't be ridiculous…" Zero said. He thought for a moment and counted his friends on his fingers, but after he couldn't think of a seventh he shook his head dismissively. "Whatever, it doesn't matter. I'm just waiting, you know? I've got like forever."

X was quiet for a moment and sighed. "Is this about Iris? Because-"

Zero rolled his eyes and gave him a look. "No, this is not about Iris, X. It's been over two centuries, and Iris wouldn't want me to be a little bitch who can't get over his ex."

X laughed. "That's exactly what I was gonna say. Anyway, you know Alia's birthday is coming up."

"Yeah," Zero said with a grin. He hadn't forgotten. A long time ago, they all had decided to each choose their favorite day of the year and call it their birthday. Alia had chosen November 1st. They made a tradition of going out and buying as much cheap candy as they could carry. Then they pigged out to a movie marathon. It was a ton of fun, and everyone always looked forward to it.

"We were planning on watching the original Star Wars trilogy and the original Disney trilogy this year," X said.

"Six films? That's an awful lot."

"Hey, it's not as long as the Harry Potter movies, and we couldn't decide between which trilogy."

"Uh, the originals, obviously," Zero scoffed.

"But what about Finn and Po?! And Rey!"

"But Darth Vader! Kylo never lived up to him."

X grinned. "See, this is exactly why we chose both. We could never satisfy everyone without one or the other. Anyway, you should invite Ciel. Alia and I are dying to meet her. And maybe she can bring one of her friends?"

"Sure, let me text her and see what she's doing." He took out his phone and typed a quick message to her.

Z: Hey, we're having a little party for my friend's birthday. do you want to come? It's November 1st. It's nothing big, we're going to go out, buy a crap ton of cheap candy, then marathon the 6 good Star Wars movies. You can even bring a friend if you like.

Ciel heard her phone buzz as she did the dishes. She nearly had a heart attack when she saw it was from Zero, so she took a breath as she dried her hands. She read it over, looked at her calendar, and responded.

CC: I should be free that day. I'd love to come! I'll invite my friend Chloe. What time is it?

He took a minute before responding.

Z: We'll meet at Walmart or somewhere around eight in the morning. We want to start watching them by 9 so we can get done around midnight.

CC: Wow, that's long. So, whose birthday is it?

Z: Alia's. She's a longtime friend of mine. You've definitely heard of her. X is her husband.

CC: Cool! I can't wait to meet her.

Z: Yeah. I can't wait to meet your friend either.

CC: Yeah Chlo's great. She works with me. We've been friends since she started interning at the lab about 5 years ago. She can't wait to meet you. Wants to thank you herself for "rescuing" me. She's been stood up once or twice, and she knows how much it sucks.

Z: She sounds cool! So it's a date!

Ciel wished he had used a different word than "date".


	4. Chapter 4

"Zero, there's something I have to tell you," Ciel admitted, putting a bag of snickers into her basket.

Zero looked up and down the shelves for dark chocolate milky ways and furrowed his brow. "Yeah? What is it?"

"I've never actually seen Star Wars."

Zero laughed and turned to her. "What? I thought scientists were all nerds!"

"Oh, she's a nerd all right!" Chloe called from down the aisle. "The reason she's never seen Star Wars is because she's been too busy binging every Star Trek series she can find."

X popped his head out from around the corner. "Guys, can you quiet down a bit? We don't want to bother the employees."

"Sorry, X," Ciel said with an apologetic smile. She had been pleasantly surprised when she met X. He was actually kind of a dork, despite his reputation as Prime Minister of Neo Arcadia. He could easily pass as a college kid, as could Alia and Zero.

"Guys I found fun dip!" Axl shouted from two aisles over. Ciel thought Axl definitely acted younger than X and the others, but so far she hadn't minded too much. Normally she couldn't stand teenagers. Ciel supposed it may be due to his chronological age. Reploid minds didn't really mature and change like human's did. They tended to stay in a sort of limbo of whatever age group they presented as. However, many reploids seemed to grow more mature solely from experience.

X was around 3 centuries old, but his "brain" was still that of someone in their early twenties. He lacked the "crystallized intelligence" of an adult, but he made up for it with his experience and had plenty of help from advisors.

Or maybe Axl just wasn't an asshole, like most teenagers.

X frowned at Axl and put his hands on his hips. "Hey! I just said don't yell," he called back. He was clearly the mom friend.

Axl scoffed. "It's FUN DIP, X. It's worth the hype." He disappeared behind the shelves.

Zero grimaced and turned to Ciel. "We ought to take that crap away from him. Last year he ate like 20 boxes of it. Ended up at the infirmary for days getting it cleaned out of his hardware."

Ciel made a face. "Oh that's the worst!"

Alia walked up to them with a cart full of miscellaneous snacks and drinks. "Oh, are we telling horrible Axl stories? Did Zero tell you about the time Axl drank mayonnaise just because we told him not to?"

Ciel gapped. "He drank it? Like, he just took the jar and chugged it?"

Alia shook her head. "No. He got one of those big slushy straws and drank it through that."

Ciel felt a little sick. "I think that's almost worse."

"Don't let her fool you, guys," Chloe said, walking up to take a look at the snacks Alia had gathered. "I've seen Ciel eat whipped butter by the spoonful."

"Chlo!" Ciel said with an exaggerated smile through gritted teeth. There was murder in her eyes. "Why would you make up lies about me in front of our new friends?" Ciel accused. (It wasn't a lie. Ciel fucking loved butter).

Chloe laughed. "C'mon Ciel. It's best to be up front about the weird things you do."

"Not if you want people to like you!" Ciel exclaimed

Zero looked at Ciel. "Do you actually eat butter straight from the container?"

Ciel looked down at her feet in shame. "…maybe."

"Listen," he said, placing a hand on her shoulder. The butterflies went mad in her stomach. She looked up at him and their eyes met for a second before his fell to the floor.

He pursed his lips for a second before looking back up at her. "That is one of the most disgusting things I have ever heard."

They stood there in silence, just looking at each other for a good five seconds before Zero's serious expression cracked into a smile and they both busted out laughing. It started out like normal laughing, but after a good twenty seconds neither of them had stopped.

X giggled. "Uh, guys? It's not that funny."

Ciel gasped for air between laughs. "I…." she wheezed. "..Know!"

Zero snorted and held his face in his hands, his shoulders shaking as he tried to get a hold of himself. Ciel doubled over, gasping for breath as her eyes began to tear up. Zero supported himself on the shelf with one hand while he slapped it with the other, choking out guffaws.

Axl came around the corner. "What is wrong? Are you guys ok?"

Zero nodded. He straightened himself up and tried to stop laughing, but after a moment he started laughing harder than ever.

Ciel was on her knees, forehead pressed against the floor. Her laughs had turned into loud wheezes. She was too out of breath to choke anything else out.

"Guys, get a grip," Chloe said, starting to laugh too.

"Why was that so funny? Why are we laughing?!" Zero yelled, wiping tears out of his eyes.

"You tell us!" Alia yelled.

"I think they need a minute," X said with a chuckle. He picked up their baskets from the floor. "Zero, Ciel, we'll meet you at the checkout."

"Oh…kay!" Ciel said, rolling onto her side. She closed her eyes and tried to gather herself. She took quite a few deep breaths before she could breathe in and out without any giggling.

Zero had straightened up for real and was also taking deep breaths. Ciel stood up, and took one more breath before she and Zero locked eyes again… and they both immediately lost it again.

It took five more minutes for them to collect themselves. Walking to the front of the store, Zero turned to her. "Seriously, though. I wasn't lying. That's really gross."

Ciel closed her eyes and nodded in agreement. "Yup."

* * *

Zero and Ciel, feeling sick from too much junk food and kind of delirious from lack of sleep, took a cab home at around one in the morning. In hushed tones, as to not disturb the cranky driver, they discussed the movies. Zero had been in the middle of explaining why the prequels should have been retconned then rewritten and remade by Disney to make them good when they pulled up at Ciel's building. Zero go the door for Ciel, then walked her to her apartment.

"You know Zero, if lightsabers were real, they would not instantly cauterize wounds like we see in the movies," Ciel said quietly as she buzzed them in.

"Really? What would happen, then?"

She smiled, excited to flex her physics muscles. "Well, we see in the movies that they're super hot, right? Like it cuts through metal like it's nothing! In real life, heat like that would cause all of the water in someone's body to evaporate almost at once, causing a blast wave."

"So they would fucking explode?!"

"Yeah."

"That is goddamn terrifying."

"Yeah, that's why it just cauterizes wounds in the movies."

"Zero nodded. "Thank god, too. Luke would have died a movie too early."

"Actually, would that have been so bad? Leia could have taken his place. She could have been like twice as badass as she already is," Ciel supposed.

Zero smiled. "That would have been incredible! Can you imagine how different the universe would be?"

Ciel's eyes widened. "Kylo never would have turned evil! He wouldn't have known that Vader was his grandfather!"

Zero cocked his head. "Well, maybe he would have felt the pull of the darkside anyway?"

Their conversation kept on even after they made it to her apartment. Somehow, they ended up asleep on opposite ends of the couch, their legs tangled together in the middle.


	5. Chapter 5

After spending the night on the couch, Ciel woke up in the morning feeling slightly uncomfortable. She sat up, rubbing her cricked neck. After blinking a few times, she realized she wasn't alone. Zero was sleeping across from her. Ciel dug her phone out of her pocket and checked the time. It was 10:02.

"Damn." She gently shook Zero awake. "Hey, get up! It's 10 in the morning."

Zero rubbed his eyes a bit and sat up, suddenly alert. "Shit, really?" He took out his phone, immediately seeing all of the messages he had received from his secretary. "Crap, I was supposed to be at the HQ two hours ago!"

"Oh god, I'm so sorry! I didn't realize you worked Saturdays," Ciel apologized.

"No, no It's my fault, Ciel. I should have set an alarm or something. Can I ask you a big favor?"

Ciel nodded. "Anything."

He took his keys out of his pocket and took one off. He offered it to her. "This is my apartment key. Can you go there and check on my kitten? Just make sure he has food and water. You can leave my key with one of my landladies. Please?"

Ciel took the key. "Yes, of course! I love cats."

Zero smiled and started typing on his phone. "Thank you so much! I'm texting you the address now."

With a wave and a quick goodbye, Zero was off.

After leaving Ciel's place, Zero made it to work in ten minutes. He rushed into the HQ and was greeted by Susan, who worked the front desk.

She looked up from her computer at him. "Hey, Zero. So you decided to show up today! What happened? You haven't been late to work in forty-five years without calling in."

"I'm sorry, I...uh, got held up."

She raised an eyebrow. "Okay, well, you'd better get to work. Poor Sam has been freaking out all morning."  
Zero sighed and started for the elevator. "Oh, no. Have a good day, Susan."

She stopped him. "Um, Zero," She said, looking him over. "Aren't you forgetting something?"

He looked down at himself and realized he was still wearing his civvies. "Oh, thanks," he said, activating his armor.

"No problem," she called after him as he hurried to the elevator.

Zero passed a number of hunters on his way to his office, and all of them looked at him like he had two heads. Apparently, one of the highest-ranking officers being late to work for the first time in decades was big news. Zero kept his eyes forward and his head up, ignoring them as best he could.

When Zero got there, Sam, his secretary, was typing frantically on his computer.

Sam looked up and sighed with relief. "Oh thank god. I don't know how much longer I would have lasted, sir."

"I'm so sorry, Sam. It won't happen again. What's going on?"

"No missions or anything, but no one knew where you were! I thought you were dead or something! I had to attend a meeting in your stead." He took a big breath. "There's some big news! I'm not sure if I'm the one who should tell you…"

Zero furrowed his brow. "What do you mean?"

Just then, there was a knock at the door. Zero turned to answer it, but before he could, Signas let himself in.

"Hello, Zero. What happened? It's not like you to come in late to work." He said.

Zero sighed. "It's not a big deal. I walked a friend of mine home, and we lost track of time. I accidentally fell asleep at her apartment without setting an alarm for myself."

Signas raised an eyebrow and his face split into a grin. "I see. Good for you, then."

Zero's face turned red, and he shook his head. "No no no, it's not like that! We're just friends, Signas."

Signas chuckled. "Hey, there's no need to be embarrassed! I'm happy for you."

"No! No! I'm not embarrassed! Nothing happened! I don't even-Jesus, we're friends! It's platonic!"

Signas shrugged with a smile. "Whatever you say, Zero. Nonetheless, I'm glad for you. You haven't had a new friend in, what, a century? And a half? What's her name? Is she the same girl X told me about?"

Zero blushed. "What did X tell you?"

"That you met a lovely scientist a few weeks ago named Ciel and you two hit it off."

Zero sighed "Yeah, that's the one."

Signas nodded. "Anyway, did Sam tell you what you missed at the meeting this morning?"

Zero shook his head. "No, he was just about to, though."

Signas took a breath. "Well, I announced my retirement today. I'm leaving in six months."

Zero's jaw dropped. People resigning was nothing new to him. He had watched every single one of the Maverick Hunters from his time leave. He must have seen hundreds come and go.

But not Signas. Signas had been a constant in Zero's life for so long. He saw him almost every single day for over two centuries. He couldn't imagine the HQ without him.

He was dumbfounded. "Congratulations, Signas. I...I don't know what to say. What made you decide to go?"

Signas smiled, a little sadly. "It's been a long time coming, hasn't it? I'm getting old, Zero. I'm not like you and X. You two were built to be timeless. You can last as long as you are needed. You will never become outdated as I have. I want to rest awhile before I'm ready to be decommissioned. I don't want to work into my grave."

Zero pursed his lips. "I understand. I'll be sad to see you go."

Signas looked at the floor for a moment. "There is something I would like to discuss privately with you. Now, if you don't mind."

Zero nodded and turned to his secretary. "Sam, why don't you take a break? Come back in twenty minutes."

"Yes, sir!" Sam replied with a smile before leaving Zero and Signas alone to talk. Signas took a seat in one of Zero's chairs, and Zero crossed his arms, leaning back against his desk.

"Now Zero, since I'm leaving, a new commander will need to be appointed. I want you to be my successor."

Zero had known this was coming. He found a spot on the wall beside him to stare at. "I'm honored Signas, really, but I don't know if I'm the best fit."

"I wholeheartedly disagree, Zero. There is no one here with the level of skill or experience you possess. You don't have to take the position, but I think you could be a better commander than me."

Zero frowned and closed his eyes. "I'll think on it, Signas, but I can't make any promises. I'm experienced, yes, but there is a lot more that goes into being commander than that."

"I know, but you can handle it. I don't mean to pressure you into anything, but I think this could be a nice change of pace for you."

Zero sighed through his nose and met Signas' eyes. "Signas, you remember what I was like not twenty years ago. I was so emotionally repressed for so long. It was a nightmare, and I couldn't even realize it. I think if take on that kind of responsibility, I'll just shut down again. I've worked so hard trying to improve myself. I don't want to fuck it up."

Signas pursed his lips, then nodded. "I understand Zero. All I ask is that you consider it, ok? You have six months to decide. If you want the position, it's yours." He stood up and clapped a hand on Zero's shoulder. "Mull it over. If you decide to take it, I'll prepare you as best I can. Promise."

Zero thanked him, and Signas left him alone with his thoughts.


	6. Chapter 6

After a change of clothes and a short walk, Ciel found herself at a quaint bookshop. A small bell above the door announced her arrival. The room was bright, and she could see a young woman sorting books in the back. A few customers milled about, and a plump elderly woman looked at her from behind a counter.

The old woman gave her a kind smile. "Hello there! Looking for anything particular?" she greeted.

"Oh, um, my name is Ciel. Zero gave me this address. He said he lived here? He sent me to feed his kitten," Ciel told her.

The woman laughed a little. "Oh, that boy! Always worrying. You must be the same Ciel he's been telling us about these past few weeks!" She walked around the counter and offered Ciel her hand. "I'm Ruth, Zero's landlady."

Ciel shook her hand. "It's nice to meet you. You have a lovely shop."

"Thank you, dear." Ruth turned around and called out. "Bonnie! Ciel is here! Come meet her!"

From behind a few shelves towards the back of the shop, another old woman appeared and began to hurry toward them, carrying a small black puffball. "Oh, isn't that wonderful! Hello, Ciel, it's great to meet you!" Once Bonnie was closer, Ciel realized that the puffball was, in fact, a kitten. "Let me guess, Zero sent you all the way here to check on this little guy?" Bonnie asked, scratching the little cat's chin. Ciel nodded, and Bonnie shook her head. "My my my, as if we would just let him starve because Zero was away! I'm sorry you had to come all the way here."

Ciel smiled. "No, it's fine! I'm glad I got to meet you two!" She put her hand out for the cat to sniff, then began petting his head. "This must be Bartholomew."

Ruth nodded. "Mm hm. He's been nothing but a joy since Zero got him a few months ago. Anyway, are you hungry Ciel?"

"I don't want to intrude…" Ciel hesitated.

"Nonsense!" Bonnie told her. "We love guests!"

Ciel smiled. "Well, I did skip breakfast this morning, and I don't have plans."

"That settles it!" Ruth said. "I'll fix you something to eat, we'll get Wendy running the cash register, and you can tell us about yourself." Ruth ushered her toward some stairs with an "Employees Only" sign, while Bonnie went and spoke to the woman in the back, who Ciel assumed to be Wendy.

"We were a bit worried when Zero didn't come home last night. What happened?" Ruth asked Ciel as they climbed the stairs.

"Oh, well, he insisted on walking me to my apartment, and we lost track of time talking and fell asleep."

Ruth hummed and nodded. They had made it to a small door, and Ruth let Ciel inside. It opened into a small living room. She and Ruth walked through it and into a little kitchen, where Ruth pulled out a carton of eggs. "Would you like an omelet or just some fried eggs?"

"I like omelets," Ciel told her.

"How about some ham and cheese in it?"

Ciel smiled. "Yes, please!"

Ruth got out the ham and cheese and gestured to the small table across from the kitchen. "Have a seat, dear. Tell me a bit about yourself. Zero told me you were a physicist?"

Ciel nodded. "Yeah! I'm currently working on sustainable energy sources."

"That's wonderful! You must be smart."

Ciel smiled. "Thank you! I really enjoy my work."

"As you should! You're doing a lot of good, dear."

Ciel nodded. "So are you! The world always needs bookstores."

Ruth gave her a kind smile. "Thank you very much. I think so, too."

"How long have you been in business?"

Ruth thought for a moment. "Hmm, I think maybe forty years now? Thirty-nine? I'll have to ask Bonnie."

"Ah. How long has Zero lived here?"

"Well, it was just after our youngest, David, moved out, and we thought that it would be good to rent out the top floor. So, must be going on twenty years now. He's changed so much since then, Ciel, you wouldn't believe."

Ciel cocked her head. "Really?"

Ruth nodded. "Yup. You should ask him about it, he's a bit sensitive about the whole thing, I don't want to tell you anything he wouldn't be comfortable with you knowing. No offense, of course."

Ciel shook her head. "No, it's fine! I understand."

At that moment, Bonnie came in. She closed the door behind her and set down Bartholomew, who cautiously stalked over to Ciel. Ciel offered her hand to him, which he sniffed curiously before rubbing against her leg and allowing her to pet him gently.

Bonnie smiled. "You're good with cats! Have you owned one before?"

"I had one when I was little, and my friend has one now. But I don't have one at the moment. My apartment has super strict rules when it comes to pets."

Bonnie frowned. "What a shame!"

Ciel shrugged. "Well, I am technically allergic to them, so I shouldn't have one anyway."

Ruth brought over the omelet with a concerned look. "Oh, we had no idea! Should we put him away, then?"

"No, no, it's ok. I take pills for it. Once I move out, the first thing I'm doing is getting one." She took a bite of the omelet and perked up. "This is really good! Thank you."

"You're very welcome," Ruth said as she took a seat beside her while Bonnie got the kettle out and started on the stove. "So tell us a bit about yourself. How old are you?"

"I'm 23."

Bonnie smiled. "Ah. That's a bit older than I thought. You look young for your age." Ciel made a face, and Bonnie laughed. "That was a compliment, I promise! You'll be grateful when you're older, dear."

Ciel cracked a smile. "Well, in that case, thank you."

Bonnie left the water to boil and sat next to her wife. "Now, tell us, what was the last book you read?"

"Hm, I actually haven't been able to read something for fun in a long time. I think the last book I read that wasn't for research was _The Great Gatsby_."

Ruth pursed her lips. "Not a fan of that one, myself. It's always misinterpreted."

Ciel laughed. "I didn't like it either! I don't know much about literary analysis, but the characters were all terrible people. It wasn't any fun to read."

Ruth tapped the table a little, thinking. "Hm. You know what? I think you should try reading poetry. It's much easier to find time to read a few stanzas than a whole book. Do you like poetry?"

Ciel shrugged. "I haven't read much. I never learned much English in school. My education focused heavily on sciences and math. I've heard of a few guys, Robert Frost, Walt Whitman, you know."

Bonnie smiled. "Tell you what, how about you borrow one of our Shel Silverstein books? He was a children's writer, but he wrote some great stuff. He's easily my favorite."

Ciel perked up. "That sounds nice! I'd love to."

"Fantastic! I'll grab _Where the Sidewalk Ends_ for you. Remind me when you leave."

"Will do! What other books do you recommend?"

As the conversation continued, Ciel found herself liking the two women more and more. She decided that she would be visiting them quite often.


	7. Chapter 7

Zero rushed home on his lunch break to clear things up with Ruth and Bonnie, trying not to think about that morning.

He was surprised to find them chatting with Ciel in their living room, sipping tea and showing her photos of their grandkids. Bartholomew was curled up in Ciel's lap, purring quite loudly.

He knocked on the doorway to get their attention. "Hello, I came to check up with you." He walked over to them. "Why are you here, Ciel?"

"You sent me here," she replied, taking a sip of tea.

He gave her a small smile, scratching his cat's chin. "I know, but I didn't think you would steal my cat and my landladies."

Ciel giggled. "I'm just visiting!"

Bonnie smiled at him. "Ciel is such a dear, Zero. You should have brought her over sooner!" She gestured to the tea kettle. "Would you like some tea?"

Zero shook his head. "No, thank you. I just wanted to pop in real quick to make sure you weren't worried, but it looks like I didn't need to."

Ruth nodded. "Ciel told us what happened. Why don't you two take Bartholomew up to your apartment? He's looking sleepy."

"Sure," Ciel said, scooping the cat into her arms and offering him to Zero, who gently took him and petted him softly.

Zero's apartment was the top floor, and the living room Ciel was ushered into was tidy for the most part. There was nothing lying on the floor, but books cluttered the coffee table and bookshelf. There was a simple desk against a window overlooking the street, and it was cluttered, too. Glass bottles, glue, bits of wood, and other bits and bobs were strewn about it. In the center sat a half-completed ship in a bottle.

Ciel smiled and walked over to it. "Wow, you make these?"

Zero nodded. "Yeah, it's a hobby of mine."

Ciel turned to the rest of the room again, looking around some more. She noticed now that they were scattered around the whole apartment. Two were in the window, a bigger one sat on top of the bookshelf. There was one on the coffee table and a couple still on the desk, waiting to be displayed.

Ciel crouched down to look closer at the partially completed one. "These are so cool! Can I touch it?"

Zero set down Bartholomew and the cat padded over to lie on the couch. Zero walked up to her. "You can touch one that's finished."

Ciel picked up the one on the desk that was about the size of her hand and inspected it. The bottle was oddly shaped, sort of cube-shaped with a narrow neck. The ship barely fit inside. "How did you make this?"

Zero chuckled. "A lot of time and a lot of patience."

"It's incredible."

"Thank you."

Ciel set it down and turned to Zero. "So is work going ok? You seem upset about something. Did you get in trouble for being late?"

Zero shook his head. "No, I'm not in trouble. It's just been a tough morning."

Ciel's eyebrows knit together with worry. "Really? What happened?" she asked.

"Well, Signas, the Commander, announced his retirement today, and he told me that he thinks I should replace him."

"Well, isn't promotion good?"

"Yes, but I don't know if I could handle being commander."

"Why not?"

Zero scratched the back of his head. "It's a bit of a long story."

Ciel shook her head. "Oh, I don't mean to pry, if you aren't comfortable telling me, that's totally fine!"

Zero shook his head. "No, it's not that I'm uncomfortable telling you, it's that you might not be comfortable hearing it."

"It's fine Zero. You can tell me."

Zero took a breath. "Well, it was almost 20 years ago…"

* * *

 _It was a peaceful morning. X and Alia were sitting on the porch together, enjoying each other's company and listening to the rain, biding time before they both had to go to work._

 _When X got the call, he felt sick with dread. Alia could tell what it was about just by watching the look on his face._

 _"Zero?" She questioned when the call ended._

 _X nodded._

 _Alia frowned. "This can't keep happening, X. If you won't go talk to him, I will."_

 _"No," X said, his eyes closed as he rubbed his eyebrow as if to soothe a headache. "I'll do it. Today. I'll call my therapist, see if he has an opening tomorrow."_

 _Alia nodded. "Good. I love you."_

 _X took her hand and kissed it gently. "I love you too."_

* * *

 _After a rough mission, during which he sustained a few not so minor injuries, Zero had left the infirmary against doctor's orders. X found him in the HQ's gym, fighting in a battle simulation. He didn't notice X come in, so X shut off the simulation himself._

 _Zero turned around, finally noticing he wasn't alone. "Why did you do that?"_

 _X raised an eyebrow. "Not even a hello?"_

 _Zero blinked. "Hello. Why did you turn off the simulation?"_

 _"We need to talk, Zero. How many times have you been to the infirmary so far this week?"_

 _Zero shrugged. "Once or twice."_

 _"Don't lie to me."_

 _"I'm not."_

 _X frowned. "Yes, you are! The RM's have been notifying me of every visit you make for months now. So far this week, you have come in six times!"_

 _"That's not absurd, X. Not even once a day."_

 _"It's only Wednesday! This has to stop, Zero. You're killing yourself."_

 _Zero crossed his arms. "It's ok X, I know my limits. I can handle myself."_

 _X sighed and shook his head. "I thought that, too."_

 _Zero furrowed his brow. "What?"_

 _"I can't sit by anymore. You're going to fall apart! Everyone is worried about you. I've been talking to Alia, Axl, Signas, your unit. We're all scared for you."_

 _Zero scowled at him. "Wow, nothing like your friends all conspiring behind your back to let you know how much of a bed wetter you are!"_

 _"We don't think you're weak, Zero! You just need help. One of these days, they won't be able to repair you, and then what?"_

 _"We have hundreds of maverick hunters here. They will be fine without me."_

 _X looked at him in disbelief. "You are not expendable, Zero! No one is! And you aren't replaceable. How could you think that?!" Zero opened his mouth to speak, but X shook his head. "No, I don't want to hear it." He met Zero's eyes. " We all love you, Zero. We need you alive." X started to blink away tears. "I don't understand! Are...do you want to be decommissioned?"_

 _Zero shook his head. "No! No, I…"_

 _"Then why are you doing this?!"_

 _Zero couldn't find an answer._

 _X sighed. "I've called my therapist. He's the best of the best. You have an appointment with him at 11 tomorrow. He'll come to your dorm, so make sure you're there. I've already spoken to Signas. You are not to report for any missions."_

 _"For how long?"_

 _"Depends on what the therapist says."_

 _"But-"_

 _"No. You need to worry about yourself for a change. Signas will handle everything. You need to go back to the infirmary for a thorough checkup. Then you need to rest."_

 _Zero closed his eyes and nodded._

 _X walked him back to the infirmary in tense silence. Just before X left to get to his own work, he turned to Zero. "You're going to thank me for this," he told him._

 _Zero pursed his lips. "I know."_

* * *

 _The next day, X got a call from his therapist, Dr. Graham, around noon._

 _"Hello, is this about Zero?" he answered._

 _"Yes, indeed. I have spoken to Zero. He seemed pretty compliant, so no worries there. He has agreed to see me every day this week. There are a few things I would like to go over with you if you have time."_

 _"Yes, that's fine. I'm not busy."_

 _"First of all, Zero will not be able to return to work until he's in a better mental state. This could take a long time. Perhaps years. But he shouldn't be sitting around doing nothing. That might make things worse. So, while he is off work, he should pick up some sort of hobby to pass his time. Something simple and productive. Maybe fishing?"_

 _"Sounds good. I can help him with that."_

 _"Yes. Now, it's important that he establishes some sort of home life, something to get him away from work. The first step of this is to move him out of his dorm at the HQ."_

 _"Ok. He could come stay with me and Alia."_

 _"That will work for the time being, but he needs to find his own place as soon as possible."_

 _"Alright."_

 _"He needs a clear distinction between work and home. If we don't establish that now, he could easily regress when he goes back to work."_

 _"Yes, I understand."_

 _"Lastly, X, this isn't going to be easy. It's very good that he wants to change, and that will certainly help, but we are trying to tear down a mindset that has been building for decades. This won't happen overnight, and it will not work if he gives up."_

 _"Don't worry. I've known Zero longer than anyone. He'll pull through this."_

 _Graham sighed. "I hope so too."_

* * *

"Since then, I've been working to fix myself. I don't want to go back to who I was. I wasn't happy back then." Zero finished.

Ciel nodded in understanding. "Listen Zero, whatever decision you make, Signas will understand. It's entirely ok to turn him down. I'm sure he won't be disappointed in you. He knows you're trying hard, and he will respect whatever decision you make. You should do what will make you happy."

Ciel's words were kind, and they would have been comforting, too. But Zero wasn't concerned about what Signas would think. Zero nodded at her words anyway, looking off into space.

Ciel gave him a questioning look. "Do you want to be commander?" she asked him.

Zero pursed his lips. "I don't know," he lied. He did want to be commander, badly. He was truly honored that Signas had chosen him, and Zero knew he would be able to do a lot of good. And Signas was right; there was no one else alive who could hold a candle to Zero's expertise.

What Zero didn't know was whether it was worth risking the life he had made for himself. What if he regressed? Was it worth the risk? After all, it was peacetime. Was there really anything to worry about? Was it selfish of him to think that way? To put his mental health above the lives of others? Above what he wanted?

Ciel thought for a moment. "Decide what you want first, and if it's meant to be it will happen. Don't be hard on yourself. If you don't think you're up to it, then don't accept the position. If you want to be commander, go for it. And remember, you have six months to decide. You don't have to choose right now."

Zero looked up and met her eyes. "Thank you, Ciel."

Ciel smiled at him. "No problem."

Ciel left shortly after that, and Zero returned to work that afternoon more conflicted than ever. He had meant it when he thanked Ciel. He wanted to be commander so badly, and it meant a lot that he had her blessing to pursue it.

But he was _so scared_ of relapsing, and he fucking hated it.


	8. Chapter 8

Zero was hunched over his desk that afternoon, beginning to file away his paperwork when he heard a knock at his door. He sighed and rubbed his temple with one hand.

"Come in," he said, trying to keep the irritation out of his voice. When he saw who it was, he straightened up in confusion. "X? What are you doing here?" he asked.

X shut the door behind him and walked over. "I came to check on you. Axl told me the news about Signas. I thought it was weird I hadn't heard it from you first."

Zero shook his head. "I'm sorry, I've had a lot on my mind. Signas offered the position to me, and I don't know what to do."

X raised his eyebrows. "He wants you to be commander?" Zero nodded. "Well, I think you would do a good job," X told him. "But it's not my decision to make. You know what I'm going to say. Don't stress so much about this. You don't have to commit to anything right now." X sighed. "Don't over think it. There's no wrong choice here."

Zero sat down and rested his chin in his hand. He looked tired, and maybe even a little sad. After a moment, he spoke. "I want to be commander, X."

X nodded. "Then accept the offer."

"But what if I can't handle it? What if I go back to the way I was before? I don't want to be like that again, and I don't want these past 19 years have been for nothing, not after you all put so much work into this, and all the work I put in either."

X shook his head. "Don't think like that, Zero. No matter what happens, this wasn't for nothing. You're in a good place right now, that's what matters."

"But if I do relapse, I'll feel like I let you all down."

X shook his head. "You could never let us down, Zero. Even if you relapse, you'll bounce back again. I've known you long enough to know that."

Zero hummed. "Thanks for having faith in me."

X paused and frowned. "Don't be more scared of letting me down because I said that, Zero."

Zero only responded by looking up and chewing his lip.

X's frown deepened, and he couldn't stop himself from raising his voice. "No! NO! Don't do that Zero! Don't twist my words around in your head. If you regress, it will be because you do shit like this! If you're going to think like that, then you shouldn't take the job!"

Zero didn't respond as he stared down at his desk.

X instantly regretted his outburst. "I'm sorry! I shouldn't have lost my temper. That was an awful thing to say-".

Zero cut him off. "No, you're absolutely right. I'm being stupid."

"No, you're not! It's not your fault, I should know that better than anyone. It just frustrates me. I don't want you to miss opportunities, and this is a huge one."

"I'm sorry, X. I can't help it sometimes, And I'm so stressed out…"

"I know, a lot is changing. But it's nothing we can't handle." X said, trying to reassure himself as well. A few moments of uneasy silence passed before X smiled. "Hey, I do have something you can look forward to."

Zero looked up. "Hm?"

"Well, Signas retiring is such a big deal. This has never happened before, and it probably won't happen again for a long time. I was thinking that we could have an event to honor him, to say thanks, you know? I want it to be something formal, but I'm not sure what. I was thinking like a banquet, but we don't need to eat so it would be a waste of good food. Anyway, I'm going to talk about it with Signas tomorrow." X frowned a little. "I won't be able to do much by way of planning it, but I'm sure we can hire someone to do all that."

Zero nodded, smiling. "That sounds really nice. You're going to have to be assertive though. Don't let him pull a humble card on you."

X laughed. "Oh, don't worry. I think even he knows this is too important to try and pass up."

"If you say so," Zero said. "Anyway, I've really got to pack this up and get home. It's already so late."

X nodded. "Yeah, it's fine. I'll talk to you tomorrow?"

Zero nodded. "Yeah, let me know what Signas says, in case he doesn't."

"No problem." X started to leave but paused when he was halfway out the door. He looked back. "Oh, and Zero?" Zero looked up and met his eyes. "Think about becoming commander, ok? I really think you would do a great job."

Zero gave him a halfhearted smile. "Thanks. I'll sleep on it, ok?"

X nodded. "That's all I ask. Goodnight."

Zero murmured a goodnight back to X and picked up where he had left off, filing away papers and contemplating. Speaking with X had helped, and by the time he had finished the menial task, he had come to a decision. He just hoped that he wouldn't talk himself out of it by morning.


	9. Chapter 9

**AN: Wow, am I happy to finally get this out! This thing is almost twice as long as most of my other chapters, so I hope that makes up for the wait somewhat.**

 **I dedicate this chapter to my roommate. I don't think I ever would have finished this had she not gone home for the weekend, allowing me to stay up until three a few nights in a row**.

* * *

Zero didn't normally come into work on Sunday unless there was an emergency, but he thought it would be better to tell Signas in person. He knocked on the door, doing his best to not psych himself out. He heard Signas call a polite "Come in", and Zero opened the door.

Signas smiled at him. "Good morning, Zero."

"Good morning," Zero replied. "I've decided to accept the position."

Signas furrowed his brow a little. Zero seemed nervous. "I'm glad to hear that, but are you sure?" he asked. "I thought you wanted to think on it longer."

Zero shook his head. "No. X talked some sense into me last night. I won't pass this up. I want to be commander."

Signas nodded. "I see. Well then, I'll start preparing you tomorrow. Think about who you want to be your replacement. You're also going to have to think about how things will change once you're commander. You'll be going on fewer missions, for one. I don't expect a combat robot like you to give that up entirely, but I know you understand how busy you'll be."

"Yes, I do. I think I'm ok with that, though. My unit has rarely been going on missions as it is."

Signas hummed. "Indeed." He brightened up a bit. "So, on another note, X called me this morning saying he would like to have a celebration to honor me."

"Yeah, he told me last night. What do you think?"

"Well, it would be rude to refuse, wouldn't it? The problem is we have no clue what the event should be."

Zero shrugged. "Why can't it just be an event? Like a generic party type thing?"

Signas leaned back in his chair. "This is a big deal, not just for me, but every subsequent commander. I want this to become a tradition, so at the very least it should have a real name."

"I get that," Zero said nodding, "But what?"

* * *

"A ball?"

Ciel nodded, leaning back against the couch and only half paying attention to the document she was reading. "Like in Cinderella."

Zero took a bite of his pizza, chewing slowly. Ciel had invited him to her apartment that night to keep her company while she did some work (and to try out a new 24-hour delivery pizza place). He eyed her, and she looked back at him, waiting for a response. She was serious. "What made you think of that?" he asked.

She grinned and looked back at her computer. "My parents went to one in Austria a few years ago for their anniversary, and they loved it."

"I don't think many hunters know how to ballroom dance, Ciel."

Ciel nodded, scribbling down a few notes. "Well, there would need to be lessons, and rehearsals, and all that of course." She turned to him again. "But like, balls are just like every other fancy adult party, except you actually get to do something fun in between awkward conversations with strangers." She took a bite before writing down a few more words. "Damn, this pizza is really good."

He smiled. "Yeah, the bread is nice and crispy."

"I know! You hardly ever get that from delivery."

He nodded, took another bite, and came clean. "The problem with the ball idea is that I'm a terrible dancer."

She shook her head and waved her hand dismissively. "Don't worry, ballroom dancing isn't like normal dancing. It's much easier."

"You ballroom dance?" Zero asked.

"No, but that's what my parents said."

He sighed. "I don't know, Ciel. I don't want to look like an idiot."

"You won't! If you guys decide you want a ball, you'll have all these months to learn. That's more than enough. When my parents went, they learned everything that morning."

He sighed. "Well, if you say so. It's the best idea I've heard. I'll text X about it." He leaned over and looked at the notes she was taking. "Why are you writing that by hand? Isn't it faster to type?"

Ciel nodded. "Yeah, typing is faster, but pen and paper give me more freedom. I've got the whole page to write on. I don't have to worry about margins or fonts. Also, I like writing my notes by hand. It feels more productive."

Zero continued to examine the notes she was taking. "Hey, you know, you could be a doctor."

She stopped and looked at him. "Why do you say that?"

"You have the awful doctor's handwriting."

Ciel rolled her eyes. "Har har. I have nice handwriting when I'm going slowly and writing something that other people have to read. These notes are just for me, so it doesn't matter if you can't read them."

"I'm just joking, I have bad handwriting too."

Ciel raised an eyebrow. "Really? Most reploids have nice handwriting."

"So do most girls."

Ciel laughed. "Shut up! I'm trying to work."

Zero glanced at her computer screen. "Yeah, what are you working on again?"

Ciel groaned. "I've explained it twice!" She looked at him helplessly. "I appreciate your interest, I really, really do, but I don't know how to say it any simpler."

"Can you please try?"

Ciel took a breath and thought for a moment. "I'll go slow. When we use nuclear energy, we get a bunch of dangerous radioactive crap left over that we don't want. That's a big reason why we don't use nuclear energy anymore."

Zero nodded. "Yes, that makes sense."

Ciel continued. "But nuclear energy is efficient. So, if we find something to do about the waste to decrease its half-life, we can use nuclear energy guilt-free."

"Ok, I get that."

"So this guy thinks he has solved that problem."

Zero shook his head. "It's his bit that makes no sense."

Ciel looked relieved. "Alright, then I'm not gonna bother. Anyway, I'm studying his report. I don't think his system will work because he's talking about uranium 235, which is almost gone now anyway, so it doesn't matter if he can reduce the half-life a billion times over, we'll just run out in a few years anyway. He thinks it will work for the waste from other isotopes, but we don't even know if we would be able to use them for nuclear power."

Zero tilted his head. "Huh. What do you think we should do?"

Ciel humphed. "Don't even get me started."

"No, it's fine. Go ahead."

Ciel took a breath. "Well, first of all, we need to cut back on electricity use. Wind turbines and solar panels might have solved the first energy crisis, but we're using more and more energy while the output stays the same. We're running out of room for turbines, but solar panels could be put on every roof. But that's expensive, and people won't want to pay for that." She paused for a second to breathe, then continued even faster. "So, I'm trying to find a way to make cheaper solar panels that have the same output. But even so, more solar panels won't help much in the long run if people, especially big corporations, don't reduce their energy consumption. What pisses me off the most is that this is the same shit that was the problem the first time this happened! But building wind farms was enough back then. It won't be this time. So we're fucked!"

Zero frowned. "Damn. That's bad."

Ciel nodded and resumed scribbling in her notebook. "It sure is. I just." She stopped for a second, gathering her words. "I'm so frustrated, you know?" She met his eyes. "Chloe and I are working so hard to make this work, and we are _so_ close. But it might not even matter."

"It will. You could be buying us the time it takes for them to learn and change."

Ciel smiled a little. "Thanks. And I appreciate you listening. It felt good to get that off my chest."

Zero waved it off. "No problem. I like listening. I wish there was more I could do to help, but I think we've established all this science stuff is a bit over my head."

Ciel giggled. "No offense, but yeah." She cupped a hand over her mouth and yawned. "What time is it?"

"Almost three thirty."

Ciel scowled. "Bullshit! It's only like midnight." She looked at the time on her laptop and grimaced. "Jesus, what did we do for six hours?"

Zero gave her an apologetic look. "Sorry, I should have told you it was getting late."

She rubbed her eyes. "No no, I should have been paying attention." She groaned. "I'm barely halfway done. If I don't finish this tonight I don't think I ever will. This is the blandest thing I've ever had the displeasure to read."

"Do you want me to make you some coffee?" Zero offered.

"Please."

He stood up and stretched a bit. "Wait, don't you have work tomorrow?"

Ciel shook her head. "Don't worry. My hours are very flexible. I can come in late every once in a while."

"Lucky." He headed back to the kitchenette. "Where do you keep your coffee?"

"There are some instant packets in the cabinet next to the pantry," she called back.

Zero rummaged around a bit before he found the box and started reading the instructions. "How do you take it?"

"Just black is fine."

Zero raised an eyebrow. "Really?" he asked, filling a mug with water before putting in the microwave to heat up.

"Yeah, my hate for it helps keep me awake."

"Well, whatever floats your boat I guess," he called back. He finished making the coffee and brought it out to her.

She smiled gratefully. "Thank you!" she blew on it a bit before taking a very careful sip. She made a face. "Agh. I hate coffee."

Zero laughed. "Then why drink it?"

She took another drink, this time looking even more disgusted. "It's an easy way to stay awake."

"Well, you're making me feel grossed out just by watching you, and I actually like the taste of black coffee."

Ciel looked him dead in the eyes while she took another drink. She swallowed it as if were a live worm and shook her head. "I don't believe you. Nothing created on Earth could ever enjoy something so bitter."

Zero shrugged. "Well, I guess I came from space, then. But seriously. Drink a caramel latte or something. A Frappuccino. I don't want to see you ever put yourself through this again."

Ciel frowned. "Don't tell me what to do. It's my life."

"Ciel, I think this counts as a self-destructive behavior."

She waved her hand dismissively. "Don't be so dramatic. It's just coffee."

"You still shouldn't force yourself to drink it."

"It's fine! I'm awake! And you're distracting me from a very important science article that describes experiments I might have to replicate."

Zero raised his hands in surrender. "Sorry, sorry. You're right. Drinking that coffee is your choice."

"Thank you." She took another sip and almost gagged. "Hey, don't you have to work tomorrow? Do you wanna crash here or are you heading home soon?"

Zero blinked. "I'm a reploid. I don't need sleep."

Ciel sat there for a moment. "Oh. Yeah, you sure are. I think I'm really tired."

Zero gave her a concerned look. "You sure you want to stay awake? You'll have a hell of a time trying to work if you're exhausted. I think you should just go to bed."

She yawned. "But the report."

Zero shook his head. "It's not going anywhere. You'll finish your notes tomorrow. I believe in you."

Ciel had no real desire to argue, and so she stood up. "Alright. I'll see you tomorrow then." She went to grab the pizza box, but Zero stopped her.

"No, I'll clean up. You get to bed."

She smiled. "Thanks," she said, closing her laptop and leaving it on the coffee table along with her notebook. "Have a good night, Zero."

He grinned back at her. "You too. Sleep well." He watched her walk to her bedroom and close the door, then placed what was left of the pizza in the fridge. He cleaned up their plates but paused when he saw Ciel's mug. He frowned at it. He wasn't going to let her drink that crap ever again.


	10. a Little AN, not abt the story

Hey! I just wanted to come on here really quick and say something, because today is the anniversary of when I first posted this fic on ao3! I really love this au, and I am so happy I decided to run with this story and actually post it. I have learned so much this year, and I like to think this has helped me grow as a writer. If you're reading this, I really appreciate you. Whether you like my fic or not, it doesn't matter. The fact that this gets views at all is enough. And if you DO like my fic, I am so touched you don't even understand!

Anyway, I really wanted to get a chapter out by now, but it just wasn't going to happen. I've been so so busy with school, and I refuse to post a chapter I'm not proud of. Don't worry, Chapter 10 is in the works and it should be out by the end of December. After that, I hope to get out a chapter or two during my winter break.

I hope you are well and I hope you stick with my fic even though I can't update it as often as I would like!


	11. Chapter 10

Zero was welcomed to work the next morning by utter chaos.

He could see them a block away; reporters were piled up outside the front doors of the HQ, all calling out and knocking on the doors with microphones and cameras. Zero didn't even attempt to worm his way past them all. Instead, he kept his head down and his civvies on as he went around to a back entrance.

He managed to get inside without being noticed and he equipped his armor before heading back towards the front desk, where Susan was working. She greeted him and checked him in.

He pointed his thumb over his shoulder, gesturing at all the people outside. "What's going on out there? I had to come in through the back," he asked her.

Susan rolled her eyes. "Some dimwit let it slip that Signas is retiring. Every news station on the planet is banging on our doors."

Zero grimaced. "Shit. Do they know who it was?"

She shook her head. "No. My guess is that it was one of the recruits we got last month."

Zero frowned. "Recruits?" he thought for a moment, then swore under his breath. "It's the tenth year?" Susan nodded. He leaned onto the counter, looking confused. "That's so strange. I haven't seen any new faces yet."

Susan smirked. "You probably have. You've just been too distracted by your new girlfriend to notice."

Zero jumped back, his face bright red. "Wait, what? What are you talking about? I don't have a girlfriend!"

Susan raised an eyebrow. "Really? Everyone's been saying you do. Axl told me just yesterday that you've been spending a lot of time with, uh, Cece I think he said." She grinned. "And that look on your face is only confirming it."

Zero shook his head, still blushing. "No, no, her name is Ciel. And we're friends. That's it."

"Sure, Zero. Sure," she muttered sarcastically. She turned her attention back to her computer monitor. "Anyway, Signas wants you to go straight to his office. He's planning his official statement and he wants your approval on it."

Zero nodded curtly and started on his way. "Ok, thanks for letting me know. Bye."

"See you. Tell Ciel I'm rooting for you two!" she called after him.

Zero ignored her and made his way to the elevator. Before he could press the button, he heard someone call out to him.

"Hey, Zero!"

He turned to see Nakh, a member of his unit jogging over to him. Nakh was only about thirty years old, but despite that Zero had fought tooth and nail for him to be allowed into the Zeroth Unit. Nakh was a rare close-quarters fighter; many hunters preferred the security of long and midrange weapons.

"Good morning," Zero called back to him. "Is something wrong?"

"Not unless you count the people camping outside the lobby." He waved his hand dismissively. "Nah, I just saw you and I wanted to let you know that if Signas asks if you want to take his place, you have to say yes."

Zero raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

Nakh grinned wide. "Because I just bet 20 bucks that you're going to be the next commander!"

Zero was taken aback. "There's already a betting pool going around? That's nuts."

Nakh nodded. "Yeah! And so far, the most money is on you. Keep that in mind, ok?"

"Uh, yeah, I will," Zero said. Nakh waved goodbye and continued down the hall to wherever he had been headed. As Zero stepped into the elevator, he was lost in thought, thinking about what he had just been told. It was comforting, of course, to know that Signas wasn't the only one who thought he was qualified, but at the same time, it put that much more pressure on him. He closed his eyes and took a breath, centering himself. He couldn't dwell on that.

Signas looked relieved when Zero finally stepped into his office. He offered Zero a seat and sighed. "I hoped I would be able to break the news on my own terms, but that clearly isn't going to work out now."

Zero nodded. "Are you going to punish whoever did it?"

Signas shook his head. "No. I want to leave here on good terms with everyone. Besides, why bother trying to find them? It isn't that big a deal. Our time could be better spent."

"Yes, I understand," Zero agreed. "So, Susan said you wanted my approval?"

Signas took a seat behind his desk and gave a nod. "Mm. I need to know if you want to make it public that you are planning to take over when I leave. And if I do announce it, should I explain my reasons?"

Zero chewed his lip for a moment before answering. "I think it's too soon. I still have time to change my mind, and if I do it might make people worried. On the other hand, if you do announce it now, it may put people's minds at ease."

Signas nodded. "So, is it a yes or no from you?"

Zero shrugged. "I'm comfortable with whatever you choose. You're still the Commander, after all. You know best."

Signas pursed his lips. "Alright, then. I won't mention you specifically, but I will assure them that we have many capable hunters here ready to step in."

Zero grinned. "Sounds like a plan."

He made a move to stand, but Signas raised his hand, gesturing for him to stay put. Signas leaned forward, placing his elbows on his desk. "Before you leave, there are a couple other things I want to talk to you about."

Zero settled back in his chair. "Ok."

"First, have you thought about anyone who could replace you?"

Zero hummed. "Uh, I have, actually. You'll probably think I'm crazy for saying this, but I actually think that Axl might be a good option."

Signas' eyebrows shot up. "Really? I thought he would be the last person you would choose."

Zero shook his head, kind of at a loss. "Well, I haven't had time to think it over, but he was the first person I thought of. He has the right skill set, and it wouldn't be a headache to find a new officer for his unit. And despite his behavior, he's one of the oldest reploids here. He's very experienced."

Signas knit his eyebrows together. "Aren't you concerned about his demeanor? I assumed you would choose someone like Pavise. More disciplined, like you."

Zero shook his head. "I think the change might be good. It could help to balance me out."

Signas raised his arms in surrender. "Well, it is your replacement. If you think he's the right choice, then he is. But how will you convince him to leave behind his unit? He's been leading them for a century now, and he likes keeping busy. The Zeroth Unit has been going on so few missions nowadays; he would be bored out of his mind."

Zero frowned. "That's my main concern as well. I was thinking he could tag along on other missions, the way I used to, but then I don't know how he would find time to finish his paperwork."

"Hm. We'll have to see. Anyway, the other thing I wanted to speak to you about. I want you to help train the cadets."

Zero tilted his head. "Why?"

"It would be a good way for you to get to know the First Unit better since they are the ones who train recruits on their downtime. And, it would help the cadets settle in better. It's not easy to start off during such a major transition."

Zero shifted in his seat. "I've never had to train anyone so new before. How many did we get?"

"Fifty."

Zero raised an eyebrow. "Only fifty? Why so few?"

Signas shrugged. "We haven't had many hunters retire this past decade, and we only lost two."

Zero bit his lip. "How many would I be responsible for?"

"Ten, but you will be alternating with one of the members of my Unit. I was thinking Kateriya."

That made Zero feel a little bit better. He had worked with Kat many times. She was an old, well-respected reploid. She had been in the First Unit for over 140 years and could give him any help he needed. "Well, I suppose you aren't really giving me a choice, are you?" Signas shook his head. Zero sighed. "When do I start?"

Signas grinned. "Next week, after the cadets have finished orientation. You'll want to meet with my Unit to get a run down of how we train recruits, and you'll meet with them again every month to make sure they are all making progress at the right pace. Of course, once you officially assume the role of commander, you're free to step down as an instructor."

Zero chewed his lip, nodding a little absentmindedly. "That sounds like a plan. Is that all?"

Signas nodded, and Zero stood up and made his way to the door. Before he could leave, Signas stopped him. "Oh, I almost forgot. X told me about the Ball suggestion. I think it's a wonderful idea!"

Zero brightened up. "Really? I guess I have to take dance lessons then."

"Yes, we will find an instructor for anyone who wants to learn in advance."

Zero smiled. "You know, the Ball thing was actually Ciel's idea."

Signas raised an eyebrow. "Really?" he grinned. "Well, you ought to make her your plus one."

"Of course! Who else would I take, my cat?"

Signas chuckled. "I'll see you, Zero."

Zero muttered a goodbye back, and before he was even out of Signas' office he had his phone out to let Ciel know.


	12. Chapter 11

Ciel was unpleasantly awoken by her alarm. She was still exhausted, and she quickly decided not to go to work.

However, after hitting the snooze button four times she was feeling guilty. What right did she have to skip work just because she was dumb? So she got up to get ready, then rewarded herself with a quick nap on the couch.

She woke up an hour later, and after rushing around her apartment like mad while gathering her things and getting ready, she ended up at work twenty minutes late, still wearing her pajamas and looking like shit, carrying her computer bag in one hand, her purse in the other, a granola bar in her mouth, and regret in her heart.

 _Why did I stay up reading that god-awful report? Why didn't I just go to bed?_ She asked herself.

 _Because Zero was with you and you were having a good time_ herself replied.

 _Shut up_ she told herself, pushing open the door to her lab.

"Oh, so you decided to show up today!" greeted Chloe, who had been texting asking where she was. Then she looked Ciel up and down and frowned. "Are you sick or something? You look awful."

Ciel dumped her stuff on her desk and took the granola bar out of her mouth. "I'm not sick." She yawned and rubbed her eyes with her palms. "I'm just tired." She turned and pointed at Chloe with the granola bar. "You know that report or paper or whatever by that guy, uh," she rubbed her forehead, trying to remember. "Johnson, I think?"

Chloe nodded. "His name is Jackson but yes."

Ciel waved her hand feebly. "Whatever. Anyway, I was reading it last night til three thirty. It was so dense and boring, I can't even begin to tell you."

Chloe groaned. "Do you at least think he's on to something?"

Ciel shook her head. "Nope, but it doesn't really matter does it? Someone is going to have to recreate his experiments, and it better be us because there is no way I read that shit for nothing."

Chloe frowned. "Hey! Don't wish that on me! You can do it yourself."

Ciel shrugged. "Sorry, but you're my lab assistant. It's your job to help me with stuff I could do myself."

Chloe rolled her eyes jokingly. "You've got a billion PhDs, why am I even here? I don't know why they let non-GMO's like me even be scientists anymore," she teased.

Ciel gave a halfhearted chuckle at the comment, knowing that it was all in good fun and Chloe obviously didn't mean it. But things like what Chloe had said always made Ciel feel a little . . . guilty? Self-conscious? She couldn't quite pin it down. She never liked comparing herself to other people. There was so much more to intelligence than what was in your DNA, and she didn't like to think about what other people might assume about her because she was GMH. And it was especially upsetting to think that anyone would feel bad about themselves just because they weren't created in a lab and given everything they could need on a silver platter. The only thing she ever had to do for herself was develop a strong work ethic . . .

She didn't notice her phone was ringing until Chloe yelled her name to get her attention.

Ciel jumped, startled for a moment. She shook her head in an attempt to clear her mind. Lack of sleep was making her overthink.

She pulled her phone out and saw it was Zero. She smiled and answered it. "Hey, Zero what's up?"

Chloe looked over at her and mouthed What is it? Ciel raised her pointer finger at her, telling her to wait a moment. Ciel's smile grew. "That's amazing!"

What is amazing? Chloe mouthed. Ciel ignored her. "Of course!" She exclaimed.

Chloe couldn't stand it. "Of course what?!" Chloe whispered.

Ciel pulled her phone away from her mouth for a second, looking ecstatic. "We have to go dress shopping!"

Chloe looked at her in shock. "What? Why?"

But Ciel was talking to Zero again. "Ok, I'll pick up a dress sometime soon . . . Oh, don't worry about that . . . um, I guess we'll see what they have set up. . . yeah, yeah. This is so cool! . . . oh yeah, I'm exhausted. But I had a really good time last night though!"

Chloe's jaw dropped. "What happened last night!?"

Ciel ignored her, laughing at whatever he had said. "Yeah, we should definitely do it again! But not on a work night."

Chloe's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates. "Did you two FUCK?"

Ciel was so startled she yelped and dropped the phone. She was blushing harder than Chloe had ever seen. Ciel turned to her and yelled "CHLOE! NO!" She hushed her voice and she picked up the phone, hand covering the microphone. "God, I hope he didn't hear that!" She murmured. Then she took a deep breath and quickly said "Hey, I gotta go I'm at work ok bye!" and then ended the call before he had a chance to respond.

She exhaled and leaned on the desk with her palms flat and her head bowed and took a few deep breaths. Then she turned to Chloe who was giggling like mad. She stood up straight and glared at her friend. All signs of exhaustion were gone and replaced with a terrible mix of fury an embarrassment. Her face was beet red, and her hands were clenched into white-knuckled fists.

"What's so funny? Why would you say that?!" She yelled at Chloe.

Chloe let out a couple more guffaws before she got herself together. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry! But come on, what was I supposed to think? All you said is that you had fun last night with him! Then you said you two should do it again!"

Ciel threw her hands up in exasperation. "So? That could mean anything! He was just keeping me company. Why did you have to jump to conclusions like that?"

"Because you really like him! And I think he really likes you, too!"

Ciel plunked down in her desk chair and began pulling at her hair. "Well if he did before, he won't now!"

"Ciel, that doesn't make any sense," Chloe said, shaking her head. "You're overthinking this. It's not a big deal! He probably didn't even hear it."

* * *

He had heard it.

And now, he was blushing wildly in the hallway, frozen in the same spot he had been in for a minute now. He was getting weird looks from the people passing him, and he heard a few people whispering about it after they thought they were out of earshot.

"What's got Officer Zero so flustered?"

"Well, I heard he got a girlfriend."

"Oh, I heard they weren't dating yet."

"Heh. Well then that might explain what's got him so worked up."

"It's funny seeing him blushing like a school girl!"

But Zero wasn't paying much attention to them. He was focusing all his energy into NOT thinking about Ciel and fucking. He would NOT. He REFUSED. She was his friend, and it wasn't fair to her for him to think about her in that way. She wasn't his girlfriend. They weren't dating. He didn't like her in that way. He took a breath and gathered himself together. Unfortunately, the flush on his cheeks remained.


	13. Chapter 12

On Monday night, the moment Ciel knocked on Zero's door Bartholomew ran up to greet her. He was meowing and pawing at the door, waiting for Zero to open it. When he did, the kitten rushed out and was immediately under Ciel's feet.

Her face lit up at him and she chuckled. "Excuse me, mister! I'd like to get inside without stepping on you!" She scooped the little guy up, smiled gently at him, and walked into Zero's apartment. "How are you, sweetie?" She cooed, scratching him behind the ear.

Zero humphed, shutting the door. "He's been bad. This afternoon he broke one of my ships."

Ciel shook her head dismissively. "Oh, I'm sure he didn't mean it! He's just a baby."

Zero raised an eyebrow. "He's five months old. He's hardly a baby anymore."

"Come on. All cats are babies, no matter how old they are."

Zero laughed and gave the kitten a few scratches under his chin. "Well, this baby keeps getting bigger, and the bigger he gets the higher he climbs. Soon I'll have to glue all my ships to the shelves."

Ciel laughed. "Hey, that's not a bad idea!" She walked over and plopped on the couch. "So, what movie are we watching?"

Zero shrugged. "I was thinking you could pick."

"Hmm. So much power." She thought for a moment. "Okay, you know what movie I could watch a million times and never get tired of?" She grinned. "Guardians of the Galaxy."

"Original?" he asked.

Ciel looked at him incredulously. "Of _course_ the original!"

He raised his hands up in defense. "Hey, just checking!" he said laughing. He put on the movie and made popcorn for them both. They lounged on the couch, petting the cat. They both loved the movie, but they had both seen it so many times they didn't feel the need to pay much attention to it. As it played, they discussed the characters and the plot and such. They chatted through the whole thing, simply enjoying each other's company.

Once the movie ended, Zero decided to bring up something he had been meaning to talk to Ciel about. "Ok, so I had an idea," he said, turning to her. "You've been drinking coffee you don't like."

Ciel nodded slowly. "Uh, yeah?"

"Right. That really bothers me. You shouldn't do that shit; it's bad for you. So, I was thinking every morning I could bring you coffee to try. There's this place I know near the HQ that's really good. I can bring you a different coffee every day until we go through the whole menu, and hopefully by then you'll have a coffee you like."

Ciel laughed. "Seriously?" He nodded. She shook her head "Look, it's just coffee. It's not a big deal. You don't have to do all that."

Zero grinned. "I know, but I want to."

Ciel sighed and half-heartedly threw up her hands. "Well I'll never talk you out of it, will I?

"Nope."

"What the hell? Let's do it."

"Good." Zero stood up from the couch and grabbed the popcorn bags to be thrown away.

Ciel stood up from the couch and looked out the window. "I guess I better be going," she sighed. It was past ten now. "I don't want a repeat of Sunday. I'll text you my work address, ok?"

"Thanks," he said, walking out of the kitchen. "Here, I'll take you home."

Ciel shook her head. "Oh, you don't have to do that. I'll be fine. It's a short walk."

"No, it's getting late. We can take my bike," he insisted, grabbing his keys off the hook by the door.

"Bike?" she asked. Then she smiled "You have a motorcycle?"

Zero grinned. "Yeah." He opened the closet beside the door and pulled out a red helmet. He shut the door and offered it to her. "Here, this might be a little big, but it should do the trick."

Ciel tried the helmet on. He was right; it was big, but she figured it was better than nothing, and she could see perfectly fine out of it. She pulled it off and grinned at Zero. "Yup! This works."

Zero breathed a sigh of relief, pulling his hair over his shoulder and beginning to braid it. "That's good. It's the only normal helmet I have." He paused his braiding to get the door for Ciel, and by the time they were out of the bookstore he had his hair in a long plait down his back. He led her down the block and around a corner until they made it to the parking garage where he kept his bike.

Zero's motorcycle was on the smaller side, but even so, it would easily fit them both. It was a beautiful red that matched the helmet Ciel was borrowing perfectly, and it had a cool retro look. Ciel had never even ridden a motorcycle before, and if she had been with anyone else, she would be a bit frightened. They were pretty dangerous, after all. But she was with Zero, and she couldn't help but feel safe with him.

He made sure she got on the bike properly, then he got on. He turned to look at her as she put on the helmet. "Hold on to me, ok?" he said.

She was glad he couldn't see her face turn red. She hesitantly wrapped her arms around him, lacing her fingers together just below his ribcage.

When she did, Zero couldn't help but lean into it. It was strange, and a little sad to think about, but he rarely received good hugs. The one Ciel had given him about a month ago was the first he had had in a couple of years. Sure, Ruth and Bonnie's grandkids would always give him quick goodbye hugs around his legs, but they hardly counted. Ruth and Bonnie and his friends rarely hugged him. He had always told them that he didn't like hugs. Now, he was realizing how stupid that was.

He knew this wasn't a real hug, but he badly wished it was. When he left the garage and started for Ciel's apartment, he found himself driving slower than usual. He told himself that it was to stay safe, but a tiny part of him knew it was because he wanted it to last longer.

It was a cold night, but Ciel didn't even feel it. Between her jacket and Zero, she was nice and warm. She was glad Zero had thought to braid his hair; If he hadn't, it would have been whipping her in the face. Though they were going relatively slow, Ciel still thought it was magical seeing the city lights blur past and feeling the wind tugging at her. She made a mental note to ask him to take her on a ride out of the city sometime.

At some point, Ciel had rested her head against Zero's back. She knew it couldn't be comfortable for him with the helmet, but he didn't seem to mind. She could feel her eyes getting heavy, and she knew she could have fallen asleep right there. Car rides at night had a habit of making her sleepy, and she figured motorcycle rides weren't too different.

It only lasted four or five minutes, but the ride had felt like much longer. When they got to her building, Zero helped her off. He took back his helmet and wished her a good night.

Ciel, in return, wished him a safe trip home, and she dismissed his flushed face as a reaction to the cold. She could feel the heat in her cheeks and hoped he assumed the same of her's.

That would have been the end of the exchange, but Zero surprised himself. After he set the helmet down on the bike seat, he turned once again to face Ciel and extended his arms out to her. If Ciel was surprised as well, she didn't show it. She simply smiled and stepped forward to hug him tightly. She rested her head on his chest, and he rested his cheek on top of her head, wrapping his arms around her shoulders.

Hugging on a quiet street in the city, alone under the gentle glow of the streetlamps, they stayed like that for a little while. Neither of them really wanted to let go.


	14. Chapter 13

Zero checked his messages to make sure he had the right address. The building that loomed in front of him didn't seem like a place Ciel would work. It was a skyscraper, one of the tallest buildings in Neo Arcadia, and so large it took up an entire city block. He doubted there was a single place in the city where you couldn't see it.

He had looked at this building every day, and he had never thought twice about it. It was huge, but besides that, it wasn't very eye-catching. It was beautiful, of course, pristine and shining white, but it didn't stand out against the other buildings in the city center. They all looked like that. Hell, the HQ looked like that.

He took one more glance up at the building before pursing his lips and striding inside. He didn't want Ciel's macchiato to get cold because he was busy admiring the architecture.

At the front desk of the lobby, which was equally as pristine as the outside of the building, was a bored-looking receptionist. The wall above her read "Neo Arcadian Institute of Science and Technology." Seeing that, he knew he had the right place. He walked up to the receptionist. He thought it was strange how bored she seemed. He had gotten so used to Susan's cheerful attitude, he supposed, that he had forgotten that it isn't exactly an exciting job. That must be why Susan was so eager to talk to everyone.

He approached the young woman who blinked at him tiredly when he told her he was there to see Ciel.

"Last name and room number," she deadpanned.

"Uh, Calore, and let me see . . . 626?"

"And what is your name?"

"Zero."

Her tone broke away from the bored deadpan to sound mildly irritated. "I need your _full_ name for the record, sir."

Zero sighed. He got this a lot. "That is my full name, ma'am."

She furrowed her brow and gave him another look. "Oh. Oh! You're _that_ Zero. The Maverick Hunter, right? Cool, cool. Well, uh, thank you." He blinked at her. "For your service," she clarified.

"Oh." He forced a smile. "You're welcome," he said awkwardly.

She typed a few things on her computer, then made a call with the desk phone. "Hello this is the front desk," she said into the phone. She was still looking Zero up and down in mild fascination, probably thinking that he was quite underwhelming as far as world-saving reploids went. Zero decided to look around the room and find various things to be interested in, pretending he didn't notice her staring and avoiding eye contact. "I have a visitor here for a Dr. Calore. His name is Zero. Should I send him up? . . . Alright, he'll be there in a few minutes. Have a good morning." She hung up and typed a few more things into her computer. She passed him a tablet. "Sign your name here." He was getting a little impatient, so he just scribbled a circle with a slash through it. She plastered a smile onto her face as she traded him a visitor's lanyard for the tablet. "Sixth floor, you know the room number. Have a good day, Sir."

He thanked her and, once he was in the elevator, put the lanyard on. It was not easy due to the length of his hair and the fact that he was trying not to spill a piping hot cup of coffee. He was immensely relieved when he made it to the sixth floor without anyone else getting on. He became significantly less relieved when he stepped out of the elevator.

He found himself in a common area, with lots of tables, computers, couches, vending machines, and people. Most of them didn't pay him any mind. Some glanced at him curiously then continued with whatever they were doing. But, there were a few who recognized him, whose eyes widened when they saw him. Thankfully, none of them tried to speak to him. It was clear he was in a hurry, after all, and he stayed close to the wall as he made his way around the room and to the nearest hallway entrance.

Once he made it there, he looked at the number next to the door he was standing next to. 671. Damn. He looked down the hallway and saw a young man in a lab coat approaching. He was reading something in a book and didn't even notice Zero until he spoke.

"Excuse me?" He called out to the man, who looked up, a little surprised.

Zero smiled at him, a little sheepish. "Hey, I'm looking for room 626? Could you point me in the right direction?"

The guy blinked. "Ciel and Chloe?" Zero nodded. "Ok, yeah, you're gonna head down this hall, all the way to the end, then take two rights and a left. You can't miss it."

Zero thanked him and started walking again, but the man stopped him.

"Hey, you wouldn't happen to be Zero, would you?" he asked.

"I am."

The man grinned. "Ah. I'm Jerome." He offered him a handshake, which Zero accepted with a smile. "Ciel and I are in the same department. Nice meeting you. I hope I'll be seeing you around more."

"Yes, of course," Zero replied automatically, then he continued on his way. About halfway down the hall he thought about what the man had said. _Hope I'll be seeing you around more?_ _What's that supposed to mean?_ he thought.

Jerome stopped walking and watched Zero until he was out of earshot, then waltzed into the common area and sat down at a table with a couple of his friends from his department. He was grinning ear to ear.

"I have news," he declared to them.

Nathalie, who worked in the lab next to his, stopped typing and glanced up at him. She smirked. "Oh yeah? Are you taking off another week to dump a ton of work on someone again?" she joked.

He rolled his eyes. They were never going to let that go. "Ha ha," he said sarcastically. "No. You know how Chloe said Ciel met Zero and they've been spending a lot of time together?"

Suddenly, he had their attention. A few people at the nearby tables even stopped talking to listen in. He smiled wider. "Well, I just ran into him. And he was on his way to her lab!"

Nathalie gaped. "Wait. The guy who just walked through here? That was Zero?"

Elaine, Nathalie's lab assistant, gave her a look. "Uh, yeah, you didn't recognize him? How many people have knee-length blond hair?"

"I don't know! I wasn't expecting to see one of the greatest heroes of all time today!"

Elaine ignored her and leaned across the table towards Jerome. "Was he nice? Maverick hunters always seemed kind of rough around the edges to me."

Jerome shrugged. "I don't know how nice he is, but he was polite. He's a little intimidating, of course. He's really tall."

"And he's visiting her at work? In the morning? That's serious boyfriend shit!" Elaine exclaimed.

"That's what I'm saying!" Jerome agreed.

"Do you think they're dating? Or secretly dating?" Nathalie asked.

Elaine gave her a look. "Why would they be secretly dating?"

"Uh, Zero's kind of a big deal! He's in history books! He saved the whole planet!"

Elaine tilted her head. "I mean, he didn't really save the _whole planet_. And he didn't do it alone."

"Whatever! Who cares about technicalities? My point still stands." She shook her head. "I can't believe this. They're probably dating, right?"

Jerome shrugged and leaned back. "We'll have to ask Ciel. But I mean, come on. Something's up."


	15. Chapter 14

Ciel had just begun to work that morning when the lab phone rang. Ciel and Chloe looked at each other, and after a quick round of rock paper scissors Chloe groaned and got up to answer it.

She picked it up and leaned against the wall. "Hello?" She listened for a moment, while an amused smile spread across her face. She looked at Ciel. "Oh, yes, for sure! Thank you!" She put the phone down and began walking over to Ciel's desk. "Zero is visiting you at work now?"

Ciel's eyes snapped up from her computer, remembering the agreement from the night before. She looked away from Chloe and fiddled with her bangs, a little embarrassed. "Yeah. He's decided to bring me coffee every day until I find one I like the best."

Chloe closed her eyes for a moment and then looked at Ciel very seriously. "Girl. You need to ask him out. As soon as he gets up here. You can't let a guy like that get away."

Ciel rolled her eyes. "I'm not going to do that. He's not interested."

"Not interested?" Chloe planted her hands on Ciel's desk and looked her in the eye. She looked like she was about to snap. "Are you shitting me? He is _in love_ with you! Completely head over heels!"

Ciel crossed her arms and looked at her desk sheepishly, pink spreading across her face. "You're being dramatic. We haven't known each other long enough for him to be in love with me."

"I'm serious!" Chloe shook her head and knit her eyebrows, walking back to her own desk. "I don't get it, girl. Why are you in denial about this?" She spun her chair around to face Ciel and sat down. "I thought you said you were ready for a relationship. That's how you met him in the first place!"

Ciel shrunk into herself a bit more. "I am ready, just . . . not with him, okay?"

"What's the issue?" Her look of confusion turned into a frown. "It's not because he's a reploid, is it?"

"I'm just trying to think long term here," she sighed.

"What are you talking about?"

"What am I talking about?" Ciel snapped. "He's _Zero!_ There is no future for us! What do you think will happen? We date, it gets serious. We're happy for a couple of years. Then what? Do you really think he'll want to settle down with some chick he's known two, three years? He's pushing three hundred! That's _nothing_ to him."

Chloe shook her head. "You don't know that! How many reploids do you know who actually think like that? You're being cynical."

Ciel huffed. "I'm being realistic. He's not like other reploids!"

Chloe propped up her chin on her hand. "Look. You're only 23, you don't have to be looking for a husband. It's too early to be thinking like that."

Ciel rubbed her temples. "I don't want to start a relationship that's doomed to fail from the beginning. Especially with a friend."

Chloe chewed her lip. "Well, if you're sure you don't want to pursue anything with him, you need to get over him. Try to find someone else."

Ciel blinked. "Someone else?" It sounded preposterous to her.

Chloe nodded again. "Yes. And stop hanging out with him so much. Out of sight, out of mind."

Ciel frowned deeply. "I-I can't just start ignoring him!"

Chloe rolled her eyes. "Do you want to try dating him or not?"

"I don't."

"Then act like it. If you are so sure about having no future with him, then you need to move on. Be an adult."

"I don't know," Ciel said. "It just sounds like rebounding to me."

Chloe shrugged. "It's not rebounding if you like him better than Zero."

"I guess you've got a point." She held her face in her hands and groaned. "I guess I'll download tinder again."

"You deleted it?" Chloe laughed.

"Well, I wasn't having much luck."

"Girl, that's not tinder's fault!"

Ciel was about to defend herself when there was a knock on the door. She shot up out of her seat and practically ran over to the door, giving Chloe a look. The other woman, who had also jumped up to answer the door, smirked and sat back down. Ciel opened the door, smiled at Zero and gave him a friendly greeting, stepping aside as he walked in.

He smiled back at her and Chloe. "Good morning." He offered the coffee cup he was holding to Ciel, and she took it graciously. "I thought it would be best to start out simple, so I just got you a caramel macchiato."

Ciel grinned. "I like caramel." She took a sip and hummed. "Pretty good!" She went over to her desk and grabbed her wallet out of her purse. "How much was it?" she asked, placing the coffee down so she didn't have to fumble with it.

Zero shook his head. "It was only a couple of dollars. You don't have to pay me back."

Ciel frowned. "That couple of dollars is going to add up after a while, you know."

"It's nothing, really," Zero insisted.

Ciel sighed, setting the wallet down and picking coffee back up, internally vowing to pay for dinner every time they hung out from now on. "Well, thank you so much. Did you have trouble finding us?"

He nodded. "I had to ask for directions once I got out of the elevator. The guy was nice. He said he works in your department. His name's Jerome?"

Zero swore he saw her grimace, but she quickly covered it up with a grin. "Yeah, Jerome's an old friend of mine. He's a little nosey, so watch out, okay? Don't let him interrogate you."

Zero chuckled. "I'll keep that in mind."

He started to say something else when there was a knock at the door. Ciel started towards it, but before she could a very tall and sharply dressed woman stepped in.

"Ciel, Chloe, I need to speak with you . . ." She trailed off, noticing Zero. She blinked at him, clearly surprised to see him. She glanced down at the visitors pass he wore, then looked at Ciel for an explanation.

Ciel noticed and stepped forward. "Good morning, Francis!" she said, a little too cheerfully. "This is my friend, Zero. He was just bringing me coffee. Zero, this is Francis, my boss."

Zero stepped forward and offered his hand to the woman, who took it and gave him a firm handshake.

"Nice to meet you, Officer," She said pointedly, letting him know she knew exactly who he was. She looked back to Ciel, expecting something.

Zero guessed what it was, and spoke up. "It's nice to meet you, too. I'm afraid I was just leaving, actually," he said, turning back to Ciel. She opened her mouth to protest, but he spoke again before she could. "I have to be at the HQ soon."

Ciel nodded her understanding. "Alright, I'll call you later, ok?"

"Sounds good." He clapped his hand on her shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze. He nodded to Chloe and Francis, then left.

Francis watched him leave, and once the door was closed and she figured he was far enough away, she spoke. "He's your friend?"

Chloe snorted, and Ciel shot a glare at her before giving her boss a forced smile. "Yes? What of it?"

"That's all?"

"I'm asking the same thing!" Chloe piped up.

Ciel blushed, ignoring her. "Yes, of course that's all."

Francis hummed. "Whatever you say. That's none of my business."

"We aren't a couple or anything!" Ciel pressed.

Her boss grinned very slightly. "I never said you were. Now, as for the reason I came here, I need to speak with you. Finish your coffee and be in my office in twenty, alright?" She nodded to Chloe. "Both of you." With that, she left, too.

Ciel let out a groan and flopped down at her desk. "Oh my god, I can't believe of all people he spoke to Jerome! I bet he's already got everyone in the building thinking there's something going on between Zero and me!"

Chloe laughed. "Aw, come on! It's not so bad. He won't lie or anything."

"People talk! You know that. Even if he doesn't make up rumors, others will."

"Calm down. It's not the end of the world. So what if people think you're in Zero's pants? They're probably jealous!"

Ciel blushed harder. "Don't say that! Never say that!" She hid her face in her hands. "This is a nightmare!" she groaned.

* * *

Jerome kept an eye out, and when Zero passed through the common area again, he jumped up and caught up to him, getting his attention.

"Hey, man, you got a minute?" he asked.

Zero stopped and looked at him surprised. "Yeah, sure." He felt eyes on him and glanced around, noticing the room had suddenly become much quieter, and there were a lot of eyes on the two of them.

Jerome gave him a wide smile. "I was just wondering, you know, what's up with you and Ciel? She's been talking about you lately, and it seems you two have gotten pretty close."

 _She talks about me?_ Zero thought. He wanted to ask what exactly she said, but he figured he probably shouldn't. So he just smiled and nodded. "She's become a good friend of mine."

Jerome looked at him curiously. "Just a friend? Are you sure about that?"

Zero felt his face get a little hot. He tried to shut the question down. "I am," he said, punctuating it with a firm nod.

Jerome noticed how clearly uncomfortable Zero was, so he backed off a bit. "Alright, that's all I was wondering. Ciel's like my sister and I try to look out for her. I just wanted to know if you had any intentions with her, you know?"

Hearing that, Zero's blush reached his ears. "I understand. You don't have anything to worry about. It's not like that," he said firmly.

Jerome nodded and smiled again. "Alright, well, I'll see you around, ok?" With that, he gave Zero a little wave and walked over to sit with two women who had been watching them closely. Zero pondered the short exchange as he stepped into the elevator. Once the door closed, he groaned and held his face in his hands, feeling like an idiot. Ciel had tried to warn him! She told him not to get interrogated, and five minutes later what had he done? He almost texted her to let her know what had happened, but he decided telling her that her coworker assumed they were a thing would only make things awkward.

He wondered what Ciel could have said about him to make Jerome think there could be something going on between them. Or, maybe it was nothing she had said at all? Maybe it was something he had done? He decided not to dwell on it too long. They were friends. There was nothing more to it. He knew that. He wasn't lying to Jerome.

Right?

* * *

Jerome returned to the table, smiling wide. He glanced behind him to make sure the elevator was closed, then turned back to them. "He is such a bad liar."


End file.
